Fibrous joints of vertebral column

Looks like

The ligament unions of the spine: the long ligaments, the yellow ligaments between the arches and the ligaments between spines and side processes.

What it does

Tie the vertebrae into one flexible column while limiting each motion.

Keeping it well

Thickening of these ligaments with age adds to narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis).

Its parts

• Intercornual ligament

Related conditions

• Axial spondyloarthritis
• Bone metastases and spinal cord compression
• Gout
• Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
• Lyme disease
• Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scoliosis
• Spina bifida & neural tube defects
• Spinal cord injury
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Temporomandibular joint disorder